Putting in a backyard pool is a major step. No matter what route you take and what options you choose, it is going to end up costing tens of thousands of dollars and will also greatly affect the outdoor space around your home, not to mention the value of your home.
It is a purchase that you will definitely want to put some time and thought into because it is something you will be living with as long as you have your home. You don’t want to end up overpaying for your pool, you don’t want to build the wrong thing for your family, or a pool that is too small, or requires too much maintenance etc.
You certainly don’t want to hire the wrong contractor when you are taking on a project as major as a backyard pool.
Doing your research before you ‘dive into’ the backyard pool project is essential. You not only want it to look awesome, but you want to make sure that it has the features and functions that you and your family will get the maximum enjoyment out of.
Here are some things that you should consider when putting in a backyard pool:
- The type of pool that you want
- Cost of various type of pools
- Construction process including time-lines
- Size and shape of the pool
- Landscaping around the pool
- Which contractor to hire to get the job done
One of the first decisions that you will be faced with is what type of pool do you want?
You basically have three choices; concrete, fiberglass, or vinyl lined pool. The vinyl option will always be your most cost effective choice, while concrete will always be the most expensive. Fiberglass pools are the most popular choice and while concrete pools can be constructed in basically any shape or size, fiberglass come pre-formed. So unless you have certain size capabilities in mind, fiberglass is probably the best choice for most people.
A fiberglass pool will be the lowest maintenance of any of your choices. Both concrete and vinyl liners are subject to staining over time, as well as algae. For these reasons alone, most people choose to go with fiberglass so they can spend less time cleaning their pool and more time enjoying it.
Fiberglass will also be smooth with no rough edges which means you have much less of a chance of scratching yourself on the bottom or edges. The other benefit of fiberglass is that they are the easiest to install. You can also install them in any weather, which is not the case with concrete or vinyl as concrete cannot be poured as easily in the winter months.
Overall, fiberglass is probably the easiest of the choices that you will be faced with when planning your backyard pool.
Obviously there are different costs associated with different pool types. Since putting in a pool is an expensive proposition, cost is a consideration for most people.
Here are some breakdowns of what your pool may cost (on average) and also what it will cost to maintain over time:
- Lets start with the most expensive type of pool. Depending upon the size of the pool you build, a concrete pool will run somewhere between $20,000-$100,000. In addition, the cost of maintaining a concrete pool will be an average of $27,400 over a 10-year period after taking everything into account.
- Since a fiberglass pool is a preformed, known size, you can figure that it will cost the length of the pool X one thousand, plus $10k. What that means is that a 25-foot fiberglass swimming pool will cost around $35,000. The cost of maintaining that pool over a 10-year period will be around $4,000.
- The least expensive option for your backyard pool is the vinyl liner. You can spend around $20,000 for a 25-foot vinyl liner pool, however it will be expensive to maintain. The average maintenance cost over a 10-year period is about $12,000.
There are also other costs, especially when selecting inground pools, as well as hidden costs associated with building a pool. You will want to set aside money for things such as pool accessories, electrical work, fencing around the pool, and patio and landscaping around the pool as well. Some of the more ‘hidden’ costs that you might run into are items such as retaining walls, extra concrete, hauling away the dirt from digging out the hole for your pool, plus any over runs on time that may come up.
The longer you have to pay workers to build your pool, the more it will cost and if they run into unforeseen factors once they start building, the labor may end up being more than originally anticipated.
Speaking of labor. Make sure and take into account a time frame for the construction. Find out exactly how long it is going to take to build and install the pool. This time-line can be based on many factors, including the size of the pool being built, the weather elements during the building time, and the size and experience of the construction crew. You should be able to get some ‘concrete’ answers from any builder before they start on your project.
Don’t settle for anything less.
The landscaping is a very important aspect when it comes to building your pool and one that should be address before breaking any ground. You want your backyard to look great and you need to plan for it ahead of time. The first thing to keep in mind is your patio that will accompany the pool. You will want a space for a grill or an outdoor kitchen area, plus you need to make sure you have enough space for people to sit when they are not in the pool.
The more comfortable you make your patio, the more you and your family will enjoy the pool. Also keep in mind plants and grass. You will no doubt have to replant grass in your backyard as well as add decorative plants around your pool and backyard.
There are costs associate with doing all of this and they must be taken into account from the beginning so that once your pool is installed, you have a nice, beautiful, usable area to go with it.
